Chapter 1: Cassandra

I watched the guys and studied the way they interacted with each other. Acting more like brothers than competitors who were all vying for the same woman - me. Luckily, the understanding of months ago that we were all one team still held to be true. I would be lying if I said I hadn't expected a fight or two. But, so far, we all got along the way we agreed, none of the guys worrying about sharing me. I pointed out the heart had four chambers and since there were four of them, my heart was complete, each having an equal piece.

The summer had been freaking awesome despite all the training. We managed to get away for a few days, the five of us spending time in the forest, hiking and checking out waterfalls and other magical places. Kyler still disappeared into the forest on occasion, though he had yet to take me along. I completely understood his need to get away and roam. The other guys stayed around campus, one or two of them always in my company. They had sworn a vow to protect me, but I also swore to protect them.

I thought maybe Braeden was still having a little trouble accepting all the extra help. For as long as we both could remember, he was the guy. Now there were four guys.

"Here comes Aurelius," Dash yelled over.

Dash probably changed the most over the summer, letting his hair grow to the middle of his back and even hitting the academy's gym more often. He couldn't give up the bad boy persona, choosing instead to throw up a wall to everyone but me and the other three guys.

I moved from my seat and joined the others, slipping between Braeden and Kyler. Braeden looked around to see if everyone else was preoccupied and then squeezed my behind. I then felt Dash's hand on my other cheek. Boys would be boys.

Oliver leaned forward in the line and glanced in my direction. Every day over the summer we spent exactly sixty-minutes studying magic lore, witches, warlocks and wizards. Oliver's goal was to become one of the greatest magic instructors in the world. He wrote to his parents once a week, sending the handwritten letters via a hawk he'd found after it fell from a nest. He nursed it as if he were the bird's mother and, in return, the bird allowed Oliver to train him. Of the guys, Oliver was the one I was most envious of because he still had his parents. I longed to sit in my bedroom with my mother brushing my hair and looking at me in the mirror. I missed my father's tales of their adventures on the missions they completed together.

As I watched the guys around me, I hoped that we too could go off on faraway missions to magical and exotic lands. But the task at hand needed to be finished first. We had a score to settle with Edius.

"Wands, lady and gentlemen." We followed Aurelius' orders and removed our wands from the sleeves in our pants. I glanced at Dash's wand, and he winked. He'd made a big deal about having the longest wand. I shook my head.

Aurelius walked in front of us and studied the variety of wands. He passed me and turned around when he got to Oliver. A large bird flapped from the trees and momentarily blocked the sun. Each of us jumped, remembering Challis' attack that started from the trees.

Aurelius stopped in front of me and clasped his hands behind his back. "The academy has a gift for you." He smiled as if he were giving me the best Christmas present ever. The wand sparkled beneath the shine of the sun. "It belonged to one of the headmasters before the war. It's now yours." He plucked my wand from my hand and replaced it with the one in his.

The wand pulsed in my hand, and Aurelius stepped back.

"Wands in sleeves." Aurelius paced back and forth. "Good." He took four steps back. "Defensive mode."

We moved quickly, our right feet moving forward, the left moving back, our knees slightly bent, our hands up as if to block a punch. Aurelius walked along our line and nudged each of us, knocking Oliver off balance. Oliver returned to his stance, his face stern, daring Aurelius to nudge him again.

"Wands," Aurelius said, and lightning fast we each pulled our wands. "Good." He nudged everyone but me. For a moment I thought he might ignore me, but he suddenly turned and lunged, but I held my stance firm, refusing to flinch. "That's my girl, Cassandra." He adjusted my wand hand a bit higher and nodded. "Perfect."

"Thank you. It feels amazing." I held it flat in my palm so the others could see it.

"More amazing if you channel your powers through its tip." He pointed at a tree about a hundred yards away. "Show us what you've learned."

I placed the wand in the sleeve along my leg and stared at the tree.

"Concentrate," Dash whispered.

I quickly withdrew my wand and pointed it at the tree, the guys jumping back when a fireball shot from the tip and hit the tree, setting it ablaze.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Oliver step forward, withdrawing his own wand and casting a water spell at the tree, dousing the fire with a brief downpour. He looked my way, and I gave him a wink. We were indeed a team.

"Fabulous. You might actually pass this semester." Aurelius patted Oliver on the back. "And fantastic team work. These are the things you'll need when it comes time to challenge Edius." He nodded, pleased with our performance. "Oliver, can you please explain the difference between spells, hexes, and curses?"

Oliver's smile widened, happy to help. "Spells aren't harmful and are usually useful, like moving an object. A curse, on the other hand, is meant to do harm, like torturing someone."

"And a hex?" Aurelius crossed his arms and awaited Oliver's answer. I think he enjoyed listening to Oliver's knowledge as much as I did.

"A hex causes a physical change in the person you are hexing, like making someone's head smaller."

"Demonstrate," Aurelius ordered.

We all heard Oliver swallow hard. He looked at us and then back at Aurelius. "On one of them?"

Aurelius nodded. "Choose your victim."

I stepped forward. "Choose me, Oliver."

"No way." Braeden stepped in front of me.

"Back up, cowboy." I moved Braeden out of the way. "Go for it, Oliver."

Oliver looked at Aurelius who nodded. He raised his wand and pointed at me, his hand shaking.

"It's okay, I trust you."

Oliver eyed the other guys. If he screwed up, they would be all over him. "Reptilius tailis," Oliver commanded and waved his wand at me.

"Oh shit." Kyler moved away, his eyes wild.

Braeden and Dash looked behind me.

"Who wants to grab my butt now?" I asked and walked forward, my lizard tail slashing back and forth along the ground.